Armstrong Siddeley Heritage Trust
Armstrong Siddeley 346 Sapphire
The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 346 having a full width body of classic design was produced as a saloon and on a lengthened chassis as a limousine. The saloon was available having four side windows with enclosed rear quarters, (designated four light) or having six side windows, (designated six light). At the time these were motor trade terms that had not yet become familiar to the buying public and often caused a little confusion at the point of sale.
The four-light sapphire accounted for just 381 cars out of a production run of 7,697, accordingly very few of these cars are still on the road today; here are some examples.
The following images are of the six-light Saloon
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These action photographs are taken from an article in the Car and Classic magazine. Photo credit Car and Classic
Armstrong Siddeley Motors period advertising images
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A Limousine version was introduced in 1955 and featured a longer wheelbase and increased headroom, in all some 381 examples were produced.
The 346 Sapphire was initially available with either a manual or pre-select gearbox, from 1954 an automatic option was also available, the following images show the layout each type of gearbox selector.
Manual Gearbox
Automatic Gearbox
Pre-select Gearbox
The following images show the diversity of bodies that were mounted on the versatile, 346 Sapphire chassis.
